Faith-filled people are happier
A Syracuse University professor has claimed in an Action Institute lecture that those people who hold moral values shaped by religious traditions are happier, contributing more to the “gross national happiness” than secularists. (He defines secularists pretty accurately, although broadly, as those who adhere to no religious tradition and/or attend one or fewer religious services annually.)
Arthur Brooks, professor of business and government policy in Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is author of the new release “Gross National Happiness: Why Happiness Matters for America - And How We Can Get More of It.” He maintains that those who actively practice their faith commit fewer crimes, more likely to contribute (financially and sweat equity) to causes, or get divorced.
But with everything, there are exceptions to the rules:
Brooks said there is an exception to his benchmark for happiness: people who view God as a condemning deity, and those who believe, but infrequently practice, their faith. They end up fearing death the most, he said